Crime And Punishment In The Elizabethan Era

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Today some people can get away with just about any small crime with no punishments, but in the Elizabethan era you'd think twice before committing a crime. For stealing fruit in the Elizabethan era you can lose your hand. Today you would get community service or some other small punishment. The punishment you were given had to do with the crime, your wealth, and who you were connected to.

Today, some people can get away with just about any small crime with no punishments, but in the Elizabethan era you'd think twice before committing a crime. For stealing fruit in the Elizabethan era you can lose your hand. Today you would get community service or some other small punishment. The punishment you were given had to do with the crime, your
“Crime was met with violent, cruel punishments.” For something as simple as stealing an apple a commoner would lose their hand. They did this for embarrassment. If someone saw them with one hand, they would know you had stolen. “Many executions were witnessed by hundreds of people.” An execution only happened if a threat was made on royals or murder. An execution day was many commoners favorite day. They got the whole day off of work. On these days the whole town would gather and watch as the criminal got his head chopped off. Everything in this time had more painful punishments, but not because of their lack of technology; but because the leaders wanted you to learn your lesson. If someone lost a hand for stealing, they would most likely not do it again.

Where as a commoner would lose their hand for stealing, a noble would only be placed in a pillory. This was also used for embarrassment, but unlike losing a hand it was not permanent. Many nobles had leeway with most crimes they did. For many reasons. Unlike a commoner, a noble could buy there way out of many punishment. Even if they couldn't buy their way out of a punishment they would get less painful punishments. Even in the case of an execution. Nobles would most likely have been beheaded for a murder. A commoner would be

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